If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Why, Buzz...I'm surprised you didn't attribute or link that article. It's OK. You're among friends. It ain't like anyone's gonna be shocked that you get your news from the Daily Kos.

To save you the inevitable typing of..."oh yeah, when you can't refute the facts you attack the messenger"....

The article is juvenile. Either the author has never heard of Senatorial "holds" before, or if he has heard of them, he's being completely disingenuous by not mentioning them in his article. Senatorial holds have been used in the Senate since the 1950s (begun by Lyndon Johnson). Usually they're done anonymously. All a senator (from either the majority or minority) has to do is approach either the Senate Majority Leader or the Senate Minority Leader and tell them they want to put a hold on the bill and the Minority/Majority leader is compelled to do so...without explanation or justification. But I suppose it's just so much easier for a Kossack "journalist" to presume that Shelby's hold is some newfangled partisan twist from the "party of No" and that McConnell is "just carrying water" instead of following 50 years of Senate rules and traditions. And of course, any good Kos reader, their brains already brimming with a hundred other DNC-inspired talking points about the "party of NO," will lap it up like a purring kitten.

That said, while Shelby's machinations suck, hate the game (the US Senate); not the playa (Shelby).

However, Democrats did that to about 10 judicial appointments after approving hundreds and were attacked with full broadsides. Senatorial holds have been going on for decades and have been used by senators of both parties. Of course I'm sure you can justify every Democrat senate hold (like you did above) while impugning every Repbulican senate hold (like you did below). I believe it is now up to the Democrats to force full filibusters on these nominations . Let Republicans read their diaries on CSPAN for the next few weeks. In the meantime, delay any and all Federal fund payments to the State of Alabama. All this so Shelby can get a contract awarded to France's Airbus and Northrup Grumman. Talk about big time stacking the deck for lobbyists. Shelby's hold isn't a partisan issue. It's about bringing home jobs to Alabama. The reason Shelby's foot stamping will sadly probably work is because most of the rest of the Senate is more about preserving their own individual powers than necessarily doing what's best for the country. One day they may be the ones putting the hold on something so they don't want diminish the power/impact of the hold. Nearly every senator is a self-important, get-along/go-along type and as a group often seem to be more beholden to their supposedly august senate rules than the country.

And the tactics Boeing used that got jail time for the President of the company and have largely delayed this project for 10 years...?

Boeing sought and gained access to Northrup's complete bid and pricing last year as a part of their protest. However, Northrup was denied access to the same information from Boeing since Northrup ey weren't the one protesting. Now Boeing has stated plans to bid a lower cost (and less capable) airframe. Northrup says they simply won't bid on the project. So, Sen Murray and Boeing and their Chinese built airframe (the Chinese build the wings....about 50% of the airframe) components win.